When Shahnur Ahmed, MD, thinks back to why he chose surgery, the perseverance his family faced serves as his main inspiration.
“I’m thankful that my family always encouraged me to pursue an education,” said Ahmed. “In the type of environment I was raised in, it's very difficult to try to navigate a lifestyle where no one has achieved a college degree or pursued a medical education.”
Born to Bangladeshi immigrants, Ahmed’s upbringing was marked by adversity. His father, a political asylum seeker who relocated to the United States in search of a better life, worked as a taxi driver in New York City before moving the family to Detroit, Michigan, in search of a slower pace and a strong Bangladeshi community. Tragedy struck early when Ahmed’s mother was diagnosed with a life-threatening condition.
“When I was in kindergarten, my mom was diagnosed with hypertensive nephrosclerosis, and she went into renal failure,” said Ahmed. “She underwent dialysis for about seven years until she got a kidney transplant.”
Behind the scenes, Ahmed and his family were facing hardships. Medical bills were piling up and the family was struggling to make ends meet as they navigated the financial strain of necessary lifestyle changes.
“When my mom got sick, my dad ended up quitting his job so that he could take care of my sister and I since we were pretty young still,” said Ahmed. “Ultimately, we ended up having to live on government assistance programs like food stamps. This went on for the majority of my childhood until I went to college.”
Journey to Surgery
Despite the challenges Ahmed and his family faced, he developed an interest in the transplant surgeons who dedicated themselves to restoring his mother’s health.
“I always accompanied my mom to her hospital appointments for transplant visits and we were always around transplant surgeons,” said Ahmed. “I was inspired by the surgeons who were taking care of my mom at the time.”
With a clear goal of pursuing a career in medicine, Ahmed pushed himself academically, embracing the opportunities provided by continuous education. He graduated as valedictorian from high school, earning a full-tuition scholarship to the University of Michigan, and later attended medical school at Wayne State University where he graduated with High Distinction and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Society.
“That love and drive for being a lifelong learner and achieving higher education is what inspired me to keep pursuing my intellectual curiosity,” said Ahmed. “I think that in combination with my experiences of taking care of my mom with her being a dialysis patient, and then eventually a kidney transplant recipient, motivated me to pursue a career in medicine—particularly in surgery.”
After graduating from medical school at Wayne State, Ahmed made the decision to continue training as a general surgery resident in the Department of Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine.
“I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in academia, and I felt like the Department of Surgery offers a fantastic mix of clinical training with high volume experience, as well as multidisciplinary and multi-specialty training,” said Ahmed. “On the resident side of things, I love the camaraderie. I noticed when I talked with the residents on interview day, I felt like those individuals would be people that I would be lifelong friends with and I can say now in my 4th year of surgical training, that my co-residents have become my lifelong friends.”
Ahmed’s residency experience hasn’t been anything short of successful.
Under the mentorship of faculty member, Al Hassanein, MD, Ahmed was awarded top resident abstract oral presentation at Plastic Surgery the Meeting 2024 and top podium presentation at the Department of Surgery’s annual resident research day. Additionally, he earned the NIH Fund Repayment Grant, which includes a grant renewable up to a $100,000 reward. These awards merely scratch the surface of what Ahmed has accomplished.
Finding Purpose through Profound Loss
Ahmed draws motivation from Hassanein, who is his role model and mentor. His father, who recently passed away, is his source of inspiration.
“My father was diagnosed with a medical condition called HLH, which is a rare autoimmune disease,” said Ahmed. “He’s one of the main reasons why I have such a positive outlook on my life. I took his loss as a sign of motivation and inspiration for me to continue my path to become an academic plastic surgeon.”
Leading up to the loss of his father, Ahmed is grateful to the Department of Surgery for supporting him through one of the toughest times of his life.
“When my dad got sick, he was based in Detroit, so on my days off I would travel to Detroit to see him, care for him and be available as much as I could in his final days while also navigating my mom’s transplant appointments,” said Ahmed. “When I returned to training after his passing, the department made sure I had time to slowly transition back to taking call and I was able to have time to decompress in the evenings. I’m very grateful the Department of Surgery was supportive in giving me that needed time and space.”
As for future plans, Ahmed aspires to pursue a career in academic plastic surgery, where he can contribute to advancing the field while actively training the next generation of surgeons. Through it all, he remains deeply committed to honoring his family and late father in his research and surgical accomplishments.
